House backs school safety bill in Florida shooting response

The House overwhelmingly approved a bill to improve school safety today, the first gun-related action by Congress since the shooting that left 17 dead at a Florida high school.

The bill authorizes USD 500 million over 10 years for grants to improve training and coordination between schools and local law enforcement and help identify signs of potential violence before they occur.

Lawmakers approved the bill, 407-10. It now goes to the Senate, where a similar measure is being considered.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the bill "provides a multi-layered approach" to identify threats so authorities can stop violence before it occurs.

"Tragic violence has no place in our schools. Every American believes that,'" Ryan said. "This legislation will actually take concrete action to prevent that."
President Donald Trump cheered the House vote, tweeting that lawmakers "took major steps toward securing our schools by passing the STOP School Violence Act. We must put the safety of America's children FIRST by improving training and by giving schools and law enforcement better tools. A tragedy like Parkland can't happen ever again!"
Ryan Petty, whose daughter, Alaina, was killed in the Parkland shooting, told senators that, "Nikolas Cruz and the deadly danger he posed were the worst-kept secrets in Parkland."